Preparing for High Volume Advising Periods

Academic advisors will experience certain periods of time in which an influx of student contact will occur. This often means a higher volume of emails, phone calls, and requests for advising appointments. To assist with preparing for some of these peak times, explore the different practices below that can help manage these more demanding points in the year.

High volume periods of the year typically take place during:

• Open enrollment for fall classes (late-March to early-April)
• Open enrollment for spring classes (late-October to early-November)
• First week of semester classes, just before the last day to add classes for that term
• New Student Orientation
   

To manage high-volume periods of the year, consider creating virtual or in-person drop-in hours for express advising. These appointments are typically 15-minutes in length and focus on a specific topic, such as scheduling concerns for the upcoming semester. This is a popular option during open enrollment periods (late-October and early-April) and the first week of semester classes.

• Create Drop-In Advising blocks in SIS so that students can view this information when looking for an advising appointment. Include date and time ranges for when drop-in advising will be held.
• Advertise drop-in availability with your students through an email communication. Obtain a list of students in your major through Query Builder and send a message through Outlook or Confidential Messages in ESAF. Remember to include specific topics that can be discussed during the appointment, time limits, and any other important information students should know about your drop-in times.
• If holding drop-ins virtually, create a new meeting in Zoom and share the link with your students. Consider sharing this information on your program or college website. 
   

Group Advising is another tool for managing large case loads or high-volume periods of time. Group advising sessions cover a topic or concern that is shared amongst many of your students, such as general enrollment questions for the upcoming semester or how to find co-curricular opportunities at MSU. Group advising can be smaller clusters of students (3-5) or more of an information session (20+).

Guide students on what is and is not acceptable to discuss in a group advising session, and be clear that personal information (Student ID, grades, address) cannot be shared in this space.

The Student Information System (SIS) provides a group advising option, or you can create a registration form in Microsoft Forms or Qualtrics.
 

New Student Orientation (NSO) is designed to warmly welcome both first-year and transfer students into the Spartan community, all while aiding their successful transition into MSU. Within the NSO experience, new students will have the opportunity to engage with our D2L (Desire2Learn) online learning platform, complete assessment forms and surveys, connect with academic advisors and enroll in classes, interact with virtual help rooms, engage with fellow incoming Spartans, and partake in a variety of other activities.

NSO is held four times per year:

• Summer semester start: early-May
• Fall semester start: June through July
• Late NSO for fall semester start: August
• Spring semester start: early-January

Work with your supervisor and department to obtain clear parameters on how your major or program manages advising during New Student Orientation. Some advising teams will open individual appointment slots for students in SIS (look for appointment reasons with NSO in the title) or will hold group advising sessions with an accompanying virtual enrollment lab.

It’s important to provide clear messaging to incoming freshmen and transfer students on how they can schedule their advising appointment or session for NSO. Discuss with your supervisor what communications your student population is receiving regarding NSO and what to expect for the advising responsibilities of this program.